'Putting MLS on the map' - Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders and LAFC seek validation at Club World Cup, if not victory

For the Barcelona contingent currently at the club, this isn't their first rodeo. Lionel Messi and Co. won this competition multiple times in its previous iteration, as was to be expected with the Catalan giants. With Miami, though, the expectations are much different. Inter Miami are not Barcelona.

“It’s a privilege that in the present day I can coach a team that’s going to take part in a competition as important as the FIFA Club World Cup,” said coach Javier Mascherano, himself a two-time winner of this trophy. “The objective is to try to compete to the best of our ability, just as we do in all competitions, knowing that it’s a top-level competition, that we’re going to face top-class teams.”

On the surface, Miami are not built to really compete in a tournament of this caliber. Despite the presence of Messi and friends, the team's defense has been poor all season with no real answers in sight. The club is third in MLS Eastern Conference standings, yes, and is leading the way in scoring this season.

But with 27 goals conceded, the Herons have allowed nine more than the conference leaders, the Philadelphia Union, who have played one more game. If Miami are struggling to stop teams in MLS, how can they be expected to stop some of the world's best?

The good news? Miami will have some time before running into the game's true elite. First up is a clash with Al Ahly at home in Miami - kicking off the tournament Saturday night at home - before they then take on Porto in match two. Porto are good, yes, but, of the UEFA sides in the tournament, they're certainly among the more favorable draws. Miami will conclude the group stage against Palmeiras - a tough opponent, but not one of the game's elite.

With that in mind, Miami's first priority is, of course, finding some semblance of defensive balance. If they can do that, they have a very real chance to survive this group stage. The world will be watching Messi this summer, and Miami's overall performance will very much serve as a referendum on this project. Of the three MLS teams, Miami face the most pressure to perform - and there is a realistic path for them to do so.

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Brian Schmetzer has been around long enough to know reality. And the reality is that the Sounders are in a tough spot. They've been matched up against PSG, Atletico Madrid and Botafogo. They'll be underdogs in all three matches.

"Look, expectations have to be in line," he told GOAL in February. "I mean, those are great teams. We want to be competitive. If we could get a result, that would be unbelievable."

Their best shot is in their first match against Botafogo. It only gets tougher from there. Atletico Madrid will head into this summer with a point to prove, and may be reeling from an opening match loss to PSG ahead of their second against the Sounders. Seattle will then get the European champions themselves in their third and final game. Based on what we saw in the Champions League final, that could get ugly.

Jesus Ferreira, who has scored 53 goals in 163 appearances in Dallas before a blockbuster move to the Sounders, could bring a much-needed scoring boost for Seattle. What, then, does success look like? It's not winning. But competing? Can they play tough against Botafogo? Can they find a goal against Atleti? Can they keep things respectable against PSG? Those are the real challenges, not winning a trophy.

Furthermore, there are other storylines to watch. Schmetzer was quick to point out how big of an opportunity this is for the club's players, namely Obed Vargas, the rising Mexican international midfielder, who could parlay this tournament into a European move with a few good performances.

It's still a meaningful opportunity for the Sounders, even if it likely won't be a long one. Despite the obvious challenges, Schmetzer is eager for his team to showcase MLS.

"I think the league wants us to do well. They want us to be competitive," he said. "Obviously, Miami is in there with Messi, you get all of that. But look, again, if we can pull out a result against any one of those three teams, that makes a statement that MLS is not so far behind some of the other teams in the world."

A late addition to this summer's field, the club is already a big winner. Just by beating Club America in the play-in game to get here - scheduled by FIFA after Club Leon was expelled for multi-club ownership violations - LAFC has effectively earned $10 million. Can they take things a step further, though? Can this club actually make waves in the tournament now that they've gotten there?

Their group is tough, but escapable. It starts with a match against Chelsea, which will see LAFC striker Olivier Giroud face off with his former club. They'll be underdogs in that one, for sure. Next up will be Esperance de Tunis of Tunisia in a match that, on paper, is certainly winnable. If those results hold, it'll all come down to a third game against Brazilian side Flamengo. Still, LAFC have already overcome a tough challenge by beating Mexican power Club America to even make it into this field.

"As a club, I think it puts you above and beyond many, many other clubs in the MLS. I think it puts you on a different level," LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. "It is also a help for the entire league, putting MLS on the map at the Club World Cup with one more team."

Helping LAFC's cause? Denis Bouanga, arguably the best attacking force not named Messi in MLS. The LAFC winger has been lighting up the league since his arrival and is the type of dynamic player that will give this team a chance.

"It kind of depends on how we work as a collective during the Club World Cup," Cherundolo said. "He'll be going up against a different caliber of defenders, but Denis is a special player and Denis understands the European game, played there many years, grew up in that system.
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For LAFC, this tournament could bring something vital: validation. Since the club's founding, the goal has been to establish LAFC as one of the league's. Playing in this tournament moves LAFC one step closer.